This is a cool photograph because when you first see it you are unsure if you are looking at an adult domestic cat killing or eating a newborn kitten (!) or a mother cat grabbing her newborn by the scruff of the neck to carry her to the den. The thing is that mothers do rarely kill their young. I have a page on this in which I discuss the reasons which you can read by clicking here.

It is hard to capture this kind of photograph as the moments are very fleeting. You just have to have the camera at the ready and be all the cat for a while to get that moment. I guess this could disturb the cat as some don’t like being photographed and in any case you want to leave a mother and her young kittens alone as she has a lot of work to do and demands peace and quiet.

Mother cat grabs her newborn kitten by the scruff of the neck. Photo (believed) by Ilya Varlamov on Flickr

HERE ARE SOME MORE PAGES ON MOTHERING:

Why do domestic cats bring prey animals into their owner’s home?

You may know the answer so I won't go on about this. It's actually often a reversal of roles depending ...
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Do cats recognise their mothers?

I argue that cats recognise their mothers based on the evidence including how their recognise their human guardian ...
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Why does my cat stick his rear in the air when I stroke him?

This form of feline behaviour is a reflection on the fact that adult domestic cats relate to their owners as ...
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Do cats abandon their kittens if you touch them?

With reference to domestic and feral cats, mothers do not abandon their newborn kittens if you touch them. But the ...
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How often can a cat give birth in a year?

Domestic cats give birth 2-3 times per year. As for the wild cats, it is normally once per year ...
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Can cats protect humans?

If we are to assess whether domestic cats protect humans, we have to look at the nature of the relationship ...
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Mother cat makes den for herself and her kittens in a bird’s nest

AMERSHAM, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UK: Highly unusually, a tabby stray cat made a den for herself and her three kittens in a ...
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Why do cats raise their butts when you pet them on their back?

Cats raise their bottoms to facilitate their mother's anogenital stimulation. It is a neonatal reflex action by the kitten. It's ...
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